The present invention relates to an icon display apparatus for displaying an icon for selecting a function. 2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional apparatus allows a user to immediately understand each function when a desired one of various functions expressed with pictographs on a display screen is selected. In recent years, as is reported in the IEEE Recommendation Practice for Graphic User Interface Drivability, an icon display apparatus is proposed wherein a window is converted into an icon in accordance with a predetermined operation, and vice versa.
In a conventional icon display apparatus, when a window is converted into an icon, the icon is displayed at a position determined in accordance with a predetermined rule based on the attribute of the icon. The user cannot freely select an icon display position. In other words, the icon order cannot be changed in accordance with the operational preference of the user.
As a method of causing a user himself to set an icon display position, a method of setting an icon display position with numerical values as screen coordinates when a window is to be displayed, and a method of changing the display position of an already displayed icon may be proposed. According to these methods, however, the icon display position cannot be immediately understood, and selection efficiency of functions is degraded, resulting in inconvenience.